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Research undertaken at the University of Manchester (UoM) has described peatland erosion and its impacts on hydrology and carbon balance; demonstrating the value of large scale peatland restoration via the re-vegetation of bare peat and erosion gully blocking. The primary impact can be seen within the Peak District National Park, where findings have formed the scientific underpinning for extensive investment in landscape-scale peatland restoration (totalling > £13m) by restoration practitioners such as the Moors for the Future Partnership (MFFP), which is significantly transforming degraded but iconic peatland landscapes. The MFFP mode is viewed as a national exemplar, with UoM research continuing to impact on upland policy, land use and restoration planning by regional, national and international bodies (National Trust, Moors for the Future, Natural England, DEFRA and the International Union for Conservation of Nature).
This case study shows how research on ecosystem service governance is directly supporting the Government's promotion of Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) schemes. These aim to pay for nature's services through the involvement of business and the wider public. Specifically, research has informed the development of a pilot UK Peatland Code to stimulate private investment in peatland restoration. The pilot Code, which was published for public feedback in June (and launched in September 2013 by the Environment Minister), sets out guidance and quality standards for sustainable business investment in peatlands. It has implications for chartered surveyors, planners and others advising clients on future land use and income generating opportunities. According to Defra's Deputy Director of Sustainable Land and Rural Evidence and Analysis, lessons from this research have "made a significant contribution" towards Defra's PES agenda, "provid[ing] us with valuable lessons for the development of PES schemes in the UK" (Testimonial 1).
A major requirement for national conservation strategies within the EU is to ensure that priority habitats for conservation within their domain are in "favourable" condition (i.e. compliance with Council Directive 92/43/EEC on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora). In order to achieve this there is an increasing need to provide sound evidence-based advice. This is especially needed in cultural landscapes (grassland, heaths and moors) which were created and maintained by human activity. Marrs' group has led the field in providing evidence-based advice on management of both lowland heaths/upland moors for over 30 years using results from (a) regional-scale, structured-surveys, (b) extensive, long-term, manipulative-experiments and (c) ecosystem modelling. Outcomes have helped frame policy and guide good-practice by conservation practitioners, especially in the area of prescribed burning of moorlands.
The water industry sources significant drinking waters from peatland catchments and faces major water discolouration problems due to dissolved organic carbon (DOC) caused by peat degradation. DOC has to be removed to meet strictly regulated drinking water standards and to eliminate disinfection by-products. One proven, but expensive industry solution uses Magnetic Ion Exchange (MIEX) at treatment works. Research at the School of Geography (SoG) investigated catchment management as a potentially longer term, more sustainable treatment solution that addresses the problem at source. Yorkshire Water (YW) has subsequently adopted recommended practices, and has invested [text removed for publication] in catchment solutions yielding wider environmental benefits.
The project combined stakeholder knowledge with natural science to identify future scenarios and adaptation options for uplands. Research into upland ecosystem services identified win-win scenarios (e.g. around carbon management) and important trade-offs (e.g. effects on biodiversity). These were embedded within government policy reports leading to additional work in government departments seeking to overcome policy barriers in these areas in order to implement the recommendations from the research. Overcoming these policy barriers has influenced government's decision to work in partnership to launch a new peatland carbon code, focussing on upland peatlands, creating corporate social responsibility (CSR) options for companies via peatland protection and restoration.
Our research on the hydro-ecology of restored wetlands has had impact through i) Changing the practices of conservation Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in wetland habitat restoration and monitoring. This has been achieved by re-framing approaches to restoration as `open-ended' rather than `prescriptive'; and by producing a clear and accessible new guideline document on how to monitor open-ended, landscape-scale wetland restoration projects; ii) Building capacity for NGOs in biodiversity monitoring through running 44 workshops for volunteers on species identification; iii) Challenging conventional conservation wisdoms on approaches to habitat restoration through debate with stakeholder groups; iv) Increasing the influence of conservation NGOs and government agencies by providing them with a new toolkit for measuring the ecosystem services of restored wetlands.
New approaches to analysing and modelling water systems, developed at Cardiff, have driven national policy changes to improve the proportion of fully functioning water ecosystems in the UK. UK Government, Welsh Government and a range of NGOs have adopted these new approaches, which replace traditional descriptive methods with experimental, analytical and modeling techniques for understanding water ecosystems.
These approaches have been used to develop the water-related component of the National Ecosystem Assessment. This document has directly impacted on UK river management policy, forming the basis of two Defra White papers, `Natural Choice' and `Water for Life', underpinning Welsh Government's Natural Environment Framework and informing the work of a range of NGOs.
Impact type: Public Policy
Significance: The research provided evidence for formulation of government policies to ameliorate poor air quality, to which fine particulate matter (PM2.5), O3 and NO2 are the most important contributors; PM2.5 alone reduces average life expectancy in the UK by 6 months and costs £9bn-£20bn a year. The research has been incorporated into UK national guidance and policy-evidence documents for Defra, the Health Protection Agency, and the Environment Agencies.
Beneficiaries are the public and the environment.
Research; date; attribution: EaStCHEM research (1995-2011) (a) established reliable techniques to measure NO2 for a national protocol, and (b) quantified the impact of pollutant emissions on PM2.5 and O3 concentrations, and on hospital admissions and deaths. Heal (EaStCHEM) led the research and wrote, collaboratively in some cases, the reports and the work cited.
Reach: UK wide.
Research at the University of East London has catalysed action across a wide range of policy, science and practice activities aimed at restoring and conserving peatlands. It has underpinned the development of a government-affiliated body (IUCN UK PP) committed to ensuring effective conservation and restoration of peatlands, and helped shape carbon-management initiatives and policies at national and inter-governmental level, prompting Ministerial commitments and substantial funding for UK peatlands. It has also supported inter-governmental consensus over the sustainable management of peatlands and their carbon stores, and influenced legal decisions about windfarm development on peat. Furthermore, it has enhanced public understanding of important environmental issues relating to peatlands and their ecosystem services, particularly in relation to greenhouse-gas emissions and water management.
The Mikoko Pamoja project uses carbon credits for conservation and development in Africa. It is one outcome of Edinburgh Napier University's (ENU) work on mangrove ecology which has local, national and international impacts. With public and private support, the project has recruited >140 international volunteers, trained 46 African scientists, and funded development including schools and pumps. It is pioneering community control of mangroves using new legal instruments and informing the national management plan. A regional forum founded by the team facilitates international networking. The work has been highlighted by the United Kingdom (UK) Department for International Development as good practice and has generated ACES (Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services), a new charity.